69 Impressive Tiny Houses That Maximize Function and Style

Check out these tiny homes that maximize both function and style.

By
Ellen Sturm Niz and Lauren Matthews

Tiny houses are popping up around the country as more people decide to downsize their lives. While the structures often measure less than 300 square feet, the tiny house movement isn't necessarily about sacrifice. With thoughtful, innovative designs, some homeowners have discovered a small house actually leads to a simpler yet fuller life, connecting them with family, friends, and nature while freeing them from mortgages and an urge to keep up with the Joneses.

Dallas designer Paige Morse renovated two 100-year-old sheds in her backyard to create a cozy home away from home. With just two rooms and 250 square feet, her space is remarkably stylish and space-efficient.

Four couples in Texas created "Bestie Row," a mini neighborhood where they could all live in houses lined right up next to each other. Each tiny house boasts a bedroom, living room, and bathroom, and was constructed with a minimalist motif—think concrete floors, grained plywood, and a metal exterior.

One of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company's newer models, the Roanoke can sleep up to six people and features a shed style roof. Take a peek inside.

Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes

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Pequod House

The Pequod, named for the ship in Moby Dick, is a marvel of modern amenities and upscale materials, all cleverly maneuvered into one tight squeeze. It measures 26 feet long and weighs 11,500 pounds.

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Molly Winters

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Eclectically Colorful

The owner of this Austin abode turned two mobile trailers into one 400-square-foot home that's connected only by a deck.

Matthew Impola

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Mobile Farmhouse

As soon as you walk inside this tiny 250-square-foot home, a tidy and warm escape full of country character greets you. Natural light swims throughout the space, and farmhouse-inspired wood accents (most of which are made from salvaged and reclaimed wood) give it a rustic yet modern touch.

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Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

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Bright Colors

Just one of the homes in Oregon's Mt. Hood Tiny House Village, "Savannah" features yellow cedar plank siding with red shutters and white trim. So welcoming!

This 280-square-foot tiny house is here to prove anyone who claims you can't use dark colors in a small room wrong. Instead of going light and airy, the Indigo Tiny Home by Driftwood Homes USA is decorated with pops of dark, moody colors.

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Courtesy of Macy Miller

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Minimalist Living

This 196-square-foot house near Boise, Idaho, is home to Macy Miller, her partner James, their daughter Hazel, and their Great Dane, Denver. A 27-year-old architect, Macy designed the home from scratch and built it on a 24-foot flatbed with help from friends and family. Clad in siding made of recycled pallet wood, the minimalist home is flooded with light and feels spacious despite its size. Hidden storage under the bed, above the pantry, and behind the fridge are contrasted with open shelving in the kitchen to make the space feel bigger. In total, Macy spent about $11,000 on her tiny house and is now able to live rent- and mortgage-free. —Ellen Sturm Niz

Designed by Broadhurst Architects, this prefab corn crib-inspired structure takes its basic form from traditional American corn cribs, which were common farm buildings that served to store and dry corn. The chic, modern 250-square-foot structure is delivered and assembled on-site, and includes a sleeping loft, an expandable kitchen wall, a bathroom, and living room. An insulated glass garage door opens to a small deck, connecting the interior space to the landscape beyond. Made of sustainable and recyclable materials, the structure can be dismantled and relocated to another site. —ESN

Designed by Derek "Deek" Diedricksen of Relax[link href="http://www.relaxshacks.blogspot.com" link_updater_label="external" target="_blank"]Shacks.com and built by Joe Everson of Tennessee Tiny Homes, this transforming micro A-frame cost only $1,200 to construct. One roof/wall is made of Tuftex polycarbonate roofing: Not only is it translucent to allow in natural light, the lightweight material is attached to the structure with hinges so it easily can be raised and propped on legs to expand the space from 80 square feet to 110. On the other side of the A, the purlins supporting the roof sheathing are placed horizontally to serve double duty as shelves. Two daybeds offer additional storage, a kitchen wall features a sink and space for a mini fridge, and a micro loft has a hinged "sunroof" for ventilation. Architect duo David and Jeanie Stiles drafted the build-it-yourself plans for this A-frame, which are on sale for $30. —ESN

The 204-square-foot "Wind River Bungalow" is the Chattanooga, Tennessee, home of tiny house enthusiasts Travis and Brittany Pyke, who started Wind River Custom Homes to help others fulfill their dreams of living simply in mini dream homes. Constructed of rain-screen cedar and hardy siding for extreme durability, the bungalow is full of custom features, including a pine and cedar interior, polymer concrete counters, and a loft ladder integrated into the shelving system. —ESN

This is the Olympia, Washington home of tiny house pioneer Dee Williams, author of The Big Tiny, a memoir that details her decision to downsize to an 84-square-foot house that she built from the ground up after a near-death experience. Constructed atop a metal truck trailer, the super-small pine-and-cedar bungalow houses a kitchen counter with a propane one-burner, a sleeping loft, solar-powered lights, a composting toilet, and a sink (but no running water). To help others realize their tiny house dreams, Dee also founded Portland Alternative Dwellings, a tiny house education, resource, and consulting company.

This darling red-roofed cottage sits in a grove of leafy trees near the water's edge in Freeport, Maine. Designed by Mac Lloyd of Creative Cottages, the environmentally sensitive abode packs in a full kitchen, bathroom, living space, sleeping quarters, gas fireplace, laundry, and a loft space, while still managing to seem airy and spacious.

This floating 240-square-foot cabin is an off-the-grid summer escape for Maine couple Foy and Louisa Brown. Assembled onshore, a foundation of plastic floatation tubs, Styrofoam, and pontoons was then towed to sea, and the cottage was built above it, using mostly pine shiplap. Louisa carries water out daily via canoe for a tank that fills the shower and kitchen; at night, candles, oil lamps, and solar lights illuminate the home.

Talk about a picture perfect country getaway: This custom built 336-square-foot cabin sits on 24 sprawling acres in West Point, Texas—just steps from its own four-acre constant flow lake, tiny lake house, and wooden pier. The rustic wood-paneled interior features a living space, full kitchen, bathroom, and two lofted bedrooms, all housed under a corrugated metal roof.

At first glance, the 400-square-foot Wedge, designed by Wheelhaus, appears to be a tiny luxury cabin but it's actually a mobile Park Model RV. Lofty 17-foot ceilings and a large sliding glass window at the front give an open feel to the rustic yet modern dwelling, which features a bedroom, bathroom, and combined kitchen/living room area. A 100-square-foot deck offers additional entertaining space. The Wedge is one of six turn-key models offered by Wheelhaus that start from $82,000. Not looking to buy? The Wedge is also available to rent at Fireside Resort at Jackson Hole Campground.

It's hard to believe this cute-as-a-button 780-square-foot historic cottage sits in the middle of a bustling metropolis. The house, owned by David Hawkanson, the executive director of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater Company, was built a few years after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when the Chicago Relief and Aid Society began offering so-called fire-relief cottage kits that included pre-cut wood, a door, a chimney, and a room partition. While historians believe more of these tiny cottages exist in Chicago, all but a couple of examples (like Hawkanson's) have become unrecognizable thanks to extensive renovations over the years.

This 112-square-foot mobile cabin belongs to extreme skier Zac Giffin, the host of FYI's Tiny House Nation, a show that features people from across the country who are living the tiny house lifestyle. The tiny abode is home to Giffin and his girlfriend, skier Molly Baker. Built on a trailer, the house features a little wood stove, living space, and a lofted guest bedroom and storage area accessed by a floating staircase. Built by Giffin for almost $25,000, the structure took seven weeks to complete.

One of 14 tiny cabins at the Blue Moon Rising ecotourism retreat in McHenry, Maryland, the 250-square foot Kaya has a rustic reclaimed metal and wood exterior. Built by the folks at Hobbitat, the quaint interior features a living space, queen-bed nook, bathroom, and kitchen with a view of nature, all under a curved, corrugated metal ceiling. Rental rates per night range from $249 to $349. —ESN

Set in a wooded area, this 300-square-foot studio retreat in Chappaqua, New York, is nestled between two rock outcroppings—one is used as a backdrop and the other as a bookend to the deck. The design team at Workshop/apd chose Dark Ipe siding and decking and walnut interiors for a natural mid-century modern look that connects the structure to its wooded surroundings. Windows wrapping the western facade frame the scenery and visually enlarge the intimate space. —ESN

Designed by Broadhurst Architects as a weekend retreat for a family from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., The Shack at Hinkle Farm sits on the southern slope of South Fork Mountain in West Virginia. With no electricity, the family relies on oil lamps for light and a small wood stove for heat; rain water is collected from the roof for the outdoor shower. An aluminum and glass garage door opens to a cantilevered wooden deck, where a removable canvas awning offers shade and shelter.

Inspired by and built by the team responsible for the gorgeous cottages at the Canoe Bay resort in the woods of Wisconsin, the 392-square-foot Escape looks like a high-end cabin but is actually a 28- by 14-foot Park Model RV on wheels. Vaulted ceilings and a large window wall give an airy feel to the cottage, which includes a living room with fireplace and kitchen wall and a separate bedroom and bath. Large French doors open to a screened porch that can be used as an extended living room, sleeping porch, or a dining area. The red-striped chaise lounge doubles as a bed with heated coils, perfect for naps on chilly days. Escape is available to rent at Canoe Bay, or can be custom-built for buyers and delivered ready to live-in. Prices start at $79,900. —ESN

One of six tiny houses—each built on wheels and outfitted with a bathroom, kitchen, and sleeping loft—at Caravan Tiny House Hotel in Portland, Oregon, the Skyline cabin is one of the newest additions to the hotel. The 160-square-foot structure is constructed of mostly salvaged materials and houses two queen beds. Rental rates are $125 per night.

Located near Watergate Bay in Cornwall, England of all places, the Sundance, a Wild West-themed wagon-style dwelling, is available to rent through Unique Homestays. Decorated with a "saloon chic" aesthetic (think wagon wheel art and sheepskin throws), the quaint interior features a wood-clad master bedroom, a bathroom with a walk-in rain shower, and a full kitchen. After a day riding horses on the nearby beach, relax with a glass of wine while sitting in a rocking chair on the lantern-lit front porch. Rental rates are about $800 for a three-night stay.

This serene tiny house in rural California is home to web designer Alek Lisefski, his girlfriend, Anjali, and their dog, Anya. Built on an 8- by 20-foot trailer, with three feet added for the back porch, the house features 10 windows and an all-glass door to opening up the small interior space to the outdoors to feel less claustrophobic and more connected to the surroundings. Designed and built by Alek himself for about $30,000, he is now selling construction plans so others can can build a house of their own to the same specs. —ESN

This tiny beach cottage on Florida's St. George Island is called "Our Little Secret" by its owners. Small in size, it's mighty in design: Its coastal-cracker exterior is made of a Structured Insulated Paneling System built to withstand hurricane-force winds, while its cheery interior features beadboard walls and ceilings and bamboo floors. Including the loft space, the 325-square-foot cottage sleeps two to four people, while a generous deck expands the living space into the outdoors for a perfect vacation retreat. —ESN

With authentic country character and hand-crafted, farmhouse-inspired details, Tiny Heirloom Homes makes it easy to downsize and upgrade at the same time. This 192-square-foot luxury farmhouse is outfitted with a sleeping loft, kitchen, bathroom, living space, and even a laundry machine. The base model, similar to the one shown here, starts at $65,000 and includes delivery plus a one-time trip out to the company's Oregon City headquarters to see its construction.

Carrie and Shane Caverly built their 200-square-foot house in the spring of 2012 after growing tired of paying mortgages and rent. Built on a trailer, the house features a low-maintenance steel roof, an on-demand hot water heater, an incinerating toilet, and a passive solar design. Carrie, an architectural designer, and Shane, a custom builder, now run Clothesline Tiny Homes, offering downloadable tiny house plans, design consulting, and custom building. After living in their tiny house for 20 months in New Mexico, the couple has now moved to Colorado, where they're building a 1,000-square-foot home. (Their tiny house will serve as a guest cottage.)

Though it clocks in at just 260-square-feet, this cottage's bright and colorful design exudes a cheery atmosphere from all corners. Designed by Richardson Architects, the tiny structure is situated on a dairy farm near the Northern California coastline and was constructed using non-corrosive and wear-resistant materials. The exterior features a large wraparound porch, a chalkboard, and ample seating, while the interior is filled with bright red and yellow hues.

With its 1920s cabins and vintage Boy Scout tents, Camp Wandawega, located in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, evokes the set of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom. But the camp's most charming feature is its three-level treehouse, built around a massive elm tree and outfitted with Pendleton blankets, tree swings, and Mason jar light fixtures. Used as a common space, guests can read a book in the treehouse's library on a rainy day or spend a lazy afternoon on the bottom-level hammock.

The "Writer's Block" cabin designed by Cheng + Snyder features storage for a canoe under its bed and workbench space. Located in Westport, Maine on the banks of the Sheepscott River, the 190-square-foot hideaway features windows arranged to maximize views and allow for passive heating and cooling.

This fully restored 1920s sheep wagon sits on the 30,000-acre Heward family ranch in Shirley Basin, Wyoming. The tiny wagon is outfitted with a full-size bed, two built-in cold boxes, a folding table, and a wood burning stove. Accommodating up to four people, the wagon can be moved around the property depending on the renters' recreational interests (fly fishing, stargazing, and hiking are just some of the many options). Rental rates are $100 per night.

Surrounded by peaceful, bucolic farmland in Somerset, England, the Shepherds Hut Retreat is comprised of four tiny "huts" available for rent. Each structure overlooks a nearby pond, and includes its own private deck and fire pit. Inside the 20- by eight-foot huts, you'll find a fully functioning kitchen, a bathroom, a dining area, and a built-in bed. Rental rates start from around $243 per weekend. Look inside the huts.

Set in a lush tropical paradise, the 250-square-foot Sunset Beach Treehouse Bungalow in Haleiwa, Hawaii overlooks one of the North Shore's most famous surf spots. Renters climb a 100-step stone path to reach the structure, nestled among black lava rocks and a leafy canopy of Banyan, avocado, and mango trees. Featuring a full-size bed as well as a lofted sleeping area, the treehouse sleeps as many as three people, and includes a kitchenette and bathroom. Rental rates start from $1,200 per week.

This 400-square-foot cabin with a refined decor sits nestled among fir, cedar, and madrone trees on the East Sound of Washington state's Orcas Island. Designed by architect David Vandervort, the cross-shaped floor plan creates distinct alcoves for the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom, while a ladder provides access to the loft bedroom above the central living room. French doors lead out to a patio of flagstone, which is also used at the cabin's entrance. (Building plans of a prototype of this cabin are available for purchase from Vandervort.) —ESN

The Yolo County Cabin, designed by Butler Armsden Architects, sits on a 400-acre farm in the rural Northern California town of Winters. With a structure inspired by the local water towers and lean-to sheds that dot the area's surrounding agricultural landscape, the home's elevated viewing terrace offers a 360-degree view of the land.

The Matchbox (pictured, right), designed by Jay Austin, lives at Boneyard Studios, a tiny house community founded in 2012 in Washington D.C. with a mission to promote the benefits of small house living and support the tiny house community. Clocking in at 140 square feet, the carbon-neutral, self-sustaining house features skylights and wide windows for passiving cooling and earthen plaster for humidity control.

The historic community of Wesleyan Grove in the town of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard is well known for its hundreds of adorable, colorful gingerbread cottages. The community began as a Methodist Church campground in the 1860s, where open air revival meetings were held during the warmer months. Church members eventually began building summer cottages, many of which feature ornate Victorian details and colorful trim. Wesleyan Grove is now designated as a National Historic Landmark District. While the cottages are privately owned, several are available to rent.

This 336-square-foot original WeeHouse from Alchemy Architects was built in 2003 to house a family off the grid on the Minnesota prairie near Lake Pepin. With floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, the modern micro home is flooded with light. The interior is completely wrapped in Douglas fir and features Ikea built-in cabinetry and kitchen elements. —ESN

Nearly every surface in Fifi O'Neill's Sarasota, Florida, home displays some sort of collection: weathered accessories, antique linens, white pottery, vintage enamelware, more pottery—you get the picture. And yet, at only 1,375 square feet, the two-bedroom, two-bath cottage feels cheerful and open, not cluttered or over-crowded. Her secret? Putting her favorite finds to work, not just up on a shelf to be admired.

Built from salvaged materials, no two of the homes from Luling, Texas-based Tiny Texas Houses, which start at 120 square feet, are alike.

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Courtesy of Tiny Texas Houses

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Victorian Farmhouse

Painted with six colors, The Painted Lady is an intricately designed micro farmhouse in Round Top, Texas, from Tiny Texas Houses. With a Victorian style exterior, the interior measures 12- by 26-feet and features a built-in couch, full kitchen, Murphy bed, sleeping loft, and bathroom with a glassed-in shower with a river rock floor. The home is 99 percent pure salvage, including the beams, floor joists, studs, windows, doors, and interior and exterior skins. —ESN

Courtesy of Tiny Texas Houses

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Rustic Salvaged Cottage

Made from 95 percent salvaged materials, the Arched Zebu is a tiny prairie house from Texas Tiny Houses. Measuring 12- by 18-feet, the house is built from materials that are close to 200 years old. Featuring beautiful arched windows, the cottage includes a lofted sleep area, kitchen, and shabby chic details.

One of the first tiny house manufacturers, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company now offers travel trailers and prefab cottages starting at 117 square feet. The model pictured here features a bump-out in the front that can be used as a sitting or sleeping area.

Courtesy Christopher Tack/Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

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Bayside Bungalow

Brittany Yunker built her 160-square-foot home, located on the shores of the Puget Sound in Olympia, Washington, using Tumbleweed Tiny House Company's Cypress 18 Equator building plans, one of the company's most popular designs. The house-on-wheels, which is available to rent, sits on an 18-foot flatbed and is equipped with electricity and a small RV-style hot water heater for the sink and shower.

Armed with plenty of curb appeal, the Loring is a prefab small bungalow from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. With a ceiling measuring almost 17 feet tall, the model comes in 261-square-foot and 356-square-foot versions.

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company's Bodega model features a fireplace, a full bath, and a kitchen, with the optional addition of a bedroom that would take the space to 356 square feet. Designed to keep construction costs low, the plans cost $759.

Designed by Katrina Cottages, this compact two-bedroom cottage has a 544-square-foot living area and a charming little porch big enough for several rocking chairs. The plan set and and building license are available for $850, while the company estimates that the cost to construct this model will range between $65,280 to $76,000.

Designed by Katrina Cottages, this charming little one-bedroom house measures 14-feet wide and 30-feet long, including a miniature front porch. The house plans and building license can be purchased for $575, and the company estimates it will cost between $38,000 and $46,000 to complete.

Can you imagine living in your laundry room? If your answer is no, just wait until you see this 88-square-foot laundry room that was turned into a charming guest house. Designed by the talented architect and designer Christi Azevedo, the teeny-tiny home features reclaimed wood beams and walls covered in red brick.

One Seattle woman turned her one-car garage into a cozy 250-square-foot house for $32,000, and it's nothing short of a cozy paradise. The space now includes a sleeping loft, a bathroom, and a wood-burning stove, as well as furniture pieces that were either custom-built or salvaged, refurbished, and repurposed by de la Vega herself.

At first glance, this cute little home is quite the charmer (that fold-out porch!), but step inside and you'll be shocked to find this tiny house feels like anything but! Designed by Timbercraft Tiny Homes, this sweet little abode is just as nice as any farmhouse.

At 970 square feet, this quaint cottage is certainly on the larger side of the tiny home movement, but this little home has plenty of small space design ideas. Built in 1890, the charming Redlands, California property was originally the gardener's residence on a large estate.

After Hurricane Katrina washed away this family's 2,000-square-foot home, they rebuilt—downsizing to a 576-square-foot beach cottage. With the help of architect Bruce Lanier and Tiny House Nation, the Parson family was able to build a new 576-square-foot beach cottage on their old property.